Key for piano-fortes



J. W. HAINES. Key for Piano-Fortes.

No. 225,700. Patented Mar. 23, I880.

WITH E55 E5 lNVENTClR NJ'ETERS, FNOTD-UTHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON, D O.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KEY FOR PlANO-FORTES- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,700, dated March 23, 1880.

Application filed August E), 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. HAINES, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Keys for Piano- Fortes and other Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This is an improvement in that class of keys called sharps/ 01' black keys, and relates to those made of glass.

The main objections to glass sharps have been, first, their great liability to come off the seat or base to which they are stuck, such base being of wood, and their weight. These objections are obviated in the presentinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement. Fi g. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross vertical section. Fig. 4 is a variation.

The broken lines in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 indicate the base or seat.

a is a glass sharp, provided with a longitudinal tongue, I), along its under side, and made hollow throughout. This tongue I) may be of dovetail shape, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or of even thickness, as in Fig. 4.

The object of providing the tongue is to al low it to be slid into a corresponding groove in the base, and provided, or not, with adhesive material. By this means the glass sharp and the wooden base will be prevented from coming apart, as is very common when the bottom of the sharp is flat, owing to the swelling and shrinking of the wood. In order to prevent undue weight the sharp is made hollow throughout.

By the above means a glass sharp, which is admitted to be handsomer and preferable in many respects to a wooden one, is made practicable.

The tongue Z) may be of any suitable length, and more than one may be used, if desired.

Having thus fully described my improvement, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an improved article of manufacture, a glass sharp-key for a musical instrument, made hollow, and provided upon its under side with one or more tongues, b, for the purposes above specified.

JOHN W. HAINES.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, B. W. WILLIAMS. 

